Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn - Historic Scotland Historic Site in Orkney | Trust Quest

About

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic tomb built between 3000 and 2400 BC on the hillside above Finstown, with views over the Bay of Firth. Visitors still enter by the original passage, well under a metre high, which opens into a central chamber with four side cells; the stonework is of particularly high quality, and the walls and corbelled roofs survive to a considerable height. When it was opened in 1901 the chamber held the remains of at least eight people and the skulls of 24 dogs, which gave it the name the tomb of the dogs and suggest the animals had a special meaning for its builders. The tomb is deliberately unlit to keep algae and graffiti away. Reviewers say to park in the tiny car park at the top of the hill road, climb for five minutes over a ladder stile, crawl in on hands and knees, and bring a head torch, as the one left in the box on site often has flat batteries.

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Cuween Hill Chambered CairnOpen all year; an unstaffed open site, no hours published

Opening times may change at short notice.

Historic Scotland: 'Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn is free to visit and open year-round. A torch is supplied when you visit.' No hours, closures or notices on 20 October 2026.

The tomb is unlit. It is entered through the original passage, which is well under a metre high and about 2 m long, so most adults crawl on hands and knees; you can stand up in the main chamber, but the side cells need another crawl. A ladder stile crosses the fence round the mound. The torch kept in a box on site often has flat batteries, so bring your own or a head torch. No toilets or other facilities.

Photo: The grass-covered mound of Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn with its low stone entrance, the ladder stile over the fence, the torch box and information boards. Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cuween_Hill_Burial_Chamber_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3613368.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.

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Walking routes1 route

Keelylang from Finstown (Orkney.com)

9 km2hr30

Dog access not confirmed

9 km out and back, grade 3, about 2.5 hours, on rough hill and peat tracks with a short wet section of open hill and a stony vehicle track; starts at the Firth Community Centre in Finstown, where there is ample parking, and passes 'the well preserved Cuween Chambered Cairn, a short distance to the east of Cuween summit', advising a head torch. Part of it follows the St Magnus Way. Free public route.

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn

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